


Semper Fidelis

by NamelessMoogle



Series: A Little More Than Friends [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Era, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Gladio POV, Ignis POV, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Canon, Resolution, Unrequited Love, Walking Down Memory Lane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-03-03 23:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13351857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessMoogle/pseuds/NamelessMoogle
Summary: Part 1: The tattooed warrior couldn’t stop thinking about what the strategist meant to him. While it was Gladiolus’s duty and life to protect Noctis, it was his wish and desire to stand by Ignis.Part 2: He found Gladio’s sudden departure from the group infuriating. However, when the Shield returned, bearing a huge smile and new scars, Ignis couldn’t stay mad at him.





	1. Chapter 1

Gladio felt content sitting at the camp with his friends. He had done it tens of times since the four of them left Insomnia, but this moment meant something special to him. He had challenged Gilgamesh, emerged victorious, and come back to his King. _Not unscathed_ , he had to admit, touching the newly acquired scars on the forehead and the chest. But those were honorable battle scars, and the words of praise from the first Shield AND Cor the Immortal more than made up for whatever physical pain Gladiolus Amicitia had felt from the wounds.

Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis all listened to the story of his recent adventures with interest. Noct appeared nonchalant, but Gladio knew the young King was fascinated to hear about his ancestor’s Shield. Prompto, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide his emotions and reacted to every turn of the story. Ignis sat quietly with a cup of coffee and, with gentle nods, urged Gladio to continue with the tale. Gladio flashed a smile in return and kept going.

Once the Shield had told his friends everything he could remember of the time away from them, Noctis yawned, said good night, and retreated to the tent. Ignis started cleaning, and both Gladio and Prompto offered to help. The campsite got clean and tidy with little time and effort, so Prompto went to sleep satisfied.

It was just the two older men awake near the fire then. They each took a seat with a book, appreciating the rare peace and quiet surrounding them. Gladio intended to enjoy the book, which he had been unable to read during his quest for strength worthy of the Shield of the True King. However, his gaze never stayed on the pages, but wandered off to the man sitting a few meters away. To Gladio’s relief, Ignis was actually paying attention to his reading materials, and thus, didn’t notice the swordsman staring at him.

The tattooed warrior couldn’t stop thinking about what the strategist meant to him. Of course, Ignis was a close friend as well as a capable co-worker. As Noctis’s retainers, the two of them had begun working closely together at a young age, and Gladio had been always grateful that Noct’s advisor had not only a brain but also a heart. It never surprised Gladio that Ignis had found a way through his heart over the years. While it was Gladiolus’s duty and life to protect Noctis, it was his wish and desire to stand by Ignis.

Gladio’s thoughts, once again, trailed back to his latest accomplishment. Having grown stronger, he was confident that he could better keep the Chosen King safe from whatever danger lay ahead. Being a better Shield, Gladio hoped, also meant that he was deserving of standing tall and working alongside Ignis.

_I’m not there yet_ , Gladio reminded himself. _I must work harder and stay ever so faithful_. Closing the book he hadn’t read at all that night, Gladio moved toward the tent, with his heart full of the object of his affections.


	2. Chapter 2

Ignis Scientia stopped thinking about his own happiness when he entered the Citadel to be groomed into the advisor to the future king. The purpose to serve was clear, and the job became even more significant when the Crystal declared Noctis the Chosen King of the legends. Every second mattered to Ignis as he prepared himself to be the retainer worthy of working for the King of Light the world was waiting for. He took joy in his favorite books and coffee, and the training he underwent as a Crownsguard kept him healthy and disciplined. He had neither the time nor the mind for romance, and he was fine with the way he lived.

Life outside Insomnia had been difficult, since the four of them had to fend for themselves instead of relying on the wisdom and experience of their mentors. The prince and his retainers were barely adults, and they had only prepared for a short trip to deliver Noctis to his betrothed. Although Ignis had known that Niflheim would someday attempt an attack on the Capital City, he was just as shocked as his friends to learn that the Empire felled Insomnia right after their journey began. They had to adapt and survive; otherwise, the King of Kings would be no more. Ignis now looked after not just Noctis but also Prompto and Gladiolus. He was fine with the responsibilities, as long as they were together.

Hence, he found Gladio’s sudden departure from the group infuriating. Searching for mythril as well as watching over Noctis and Prompto kept Ignis too busy to express any sort of anger. When the Shield returned, bearing a huge smile and new scars, Ignis couldn’t stay mad at him. Gladio recounted his time with the Marshal and the first Shield of Lucis as his eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky. Ignis thought the glint created a fascinating contrast to the baritone voice telling the story. That night became one of the few joyful moments in the journey Ignis would cherish for the rest of his life.

After losing his eyesight in Altissia, Ignis had only his memories to turn to when he missed the goofy grin Gladio sported as he spoke of the confrontation with Gilgamesh. Prompto had taken pictures of the gleeful look on Gladio’s face, and those photos helped Ignis jog his memories for a while. _For a precious while_ , Ignis admitted. Nonetheless, his friends came out of the ordeal alive and unscathed, other than Noctis being exhausted from his battle against the Hydraen. While he, along with many others in Eos, mourned for the loss of Lady Lunafreya, Ignis felt hope in his heart as he heard his friends’ voices in close proximities.

Ignis reached for the cane when a warm, large hand touched his. “I got it.” The voice reminded the strategist of campfires and the brightest stars in the sky.


	3. Forever Faithful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Almost a year after I wrote _Semper Fidelis_ , I decided to add a few more lines to the story.
> 
> 36\. "We'll figure it out."

When Gladio came to, there was light all around. Accustomed to the darkness for ten years, he squeezed his eyes shut and blinked them several times. “Hey!” the Shield shouted. “Where are you guys?”

He realized then that he had to go find out what had become of the King of Kings, now that Eos was enveloped in light, for the first time in a decade.

“Over here, Gladio!”

He followed Ignis’ voice, and soon found the advisor holding a limp body in a black suit, with Prompto sobbing next to him. The grim look Ignis had on his face spoke volumes, but Gladio still had to ask. “Iggy… Is that…?”

Ignis nodded, and Gladio fell on his knees.

*****

To Gladio’s surprise, Cor Leonis took on the burden of overseeing the King’s funeral. “You boys have been through a lot,” the Marshal said when Prompto asked him why. The three best friends of Noctis Lucis Caelum insisted on carrying the coffin, and Cor gave them the okay, provided that he join them.

Some time after the funeral, Prompto left Insomnia, with his camera and a backpack. “I wanna see the world again… in the light Noct has brought to us.” Gladio and Ignis personally saw Prompto off at the city border, as he walked briskly towards the horizon.

Ignis broke the silence that had fallen between them in Prompto’s absence. “We’re no longer Noct’s retainers, are we?”

“I suppose not,” Gladio admitted, “though Blondie there figured it out before we did.”

“You were born to be the King’s Shield, Gladio.”

“Yeah.”

“And you have been ever so faithful in your duties.”

“So have you, Iggy. So have you.” Gladio kept his eyes on Ignis’, even though the other man could not return the gaze.

“He wouldn’t want us to forever mourn for him,” Ignis pointed out.

“Right. So, what shall we do from now on?”

Ignis smiled, and Gladio felt his heart flutter at the sight. 

“We’ll figure it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _[I'm Here for You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879050/chapters/31931430)_ inspired a certain part of this segment of _Semper Fidelis_.

**Author's Note:**

> [Scream at me about my little fics](https://twitter.com/namelessmoogle1).


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